News-fake army soldiers parade round this morning.

1. The General Officer Commanding 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Enobong Okon Udoh today Monday 9 April 2018, paraded some impostors and criminals arrested within his Area of Responsibility in Lagos and Ogun states recently. They were paraded at the Headquarters 81 Division. Parading the impostors and criminals on behalf of the General Officer Commanding was Brigadier General Hamisu Hassan the Chief of Staff of the Division.

2. As revealed by Brigadier General Hamisu, the impostors were arrested in several parts of Lagos and Ogun states by various Operation CHECKMATE Teams of 81 Division operating clandestinely, while they were carrying out their nefarious activities dressed in different types of Nigeria military uniforms, accessories and other accoutrements. Also arrested by the indefatigueable Operation CHECKMATE Team were criminals who aided and abetted these impostors by making and supplying them with fake military ID cards and the military accoutrements donned by them to perpetrate their nefarious activities. Some long deserted as well as dismissed personnel of the Services of Armed Forces who impersonated Service personnel of various rank categories are also among those arrested and paraded by the Division. He further revealed that the frequency of occurrence which was indeed very high about two months ago was now on the decrease since the inception of the “Special Operation CHECK MATE” launched by the General Officer Commanding on his assumption of office. It could be recalled that these criminal impostors are constantly perpetrating criminal activities such as extortion, molestation of innocent citizens, intervening in private disputes between aggrieved parties for pecuniary gains, settlement of land disputes etcetera, which tend to portray the Nigeria Army in particular and the Nigerian Armed Forces in general to the public in bad light as they commit such criminal and illegal activities in military uniform thus giving the false impression of being bona-fide military personnel to their victims and other unsuspecting law - abiding citizens. In so doing, these criminal impostors cause undue and unfair public opinions and outrage against the Nigerian Army by reason of criminal acts that were clearly perpetrated by them. The Authorities of 81 Division hereby urges members of the public to always beware of imposters and to always reach out and call the numbers below whenever in doubt or whenever they see persons in uniform engaged in any form of illegality.

07069353889---Ojo,

08060492529---Ojo,

07017064979---Badagry

08034347484---Victoria Island

08065992320---Ikeja

08069097624---Owode

08065806870---Ikorodu

07064281177---Obalende

08053862233---Abeokuta

08057705135---Abeokuta

Members of the public are please informed that, in line with the Chief of Army Staff's Vision which is to have a Professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the performance of its duties, the current leadership of 81 Division Nigerian Army indeed has zero tolerance for all forms of illegality including the activities of impostors which directly and unfairly impact on the good image of the Nigerian Army by committing various despicable acts in military uniforms and thus eliciting slanderous public reactions and opinions against the Nigerian Army for no just cause.

3. Below are the list of recently arrested impostors that were paraded by the Division.

a. Mr. Abdullahi Mubarak arrested on 2 April, 2018 for impersonation fully dressed in military camouflage uniform with red beret and MP hand band in Ojo area. He had a fake military ID card in his possession.

b. Mr. Emmanuel Anthony a dismissed soldier residing at No 24 Iyana Cele, Ojo. Emmanuel is the ring leader of the fake ID card producing syndicate. He has also in various occasions impersonated as a Lieutenant, Captain and any other rank that suite his illegal activities.

c. Mr. Ibeh Gabriel Emeka who resides at No 25 Isoko Street, Ojo was arrested on 3 April, 2018 at Alaba International Market. He is a member of Emmanuel Anthony syndicate producing fake military ID cards. They have also worked together as impostors dressed in military uniforms.

d. Mr. Olasunkanmi from Adeoyo in Ibadan was arrested on 18 March 2018 in Shagamu for impersonation dressed in military uniform.

e. Mr. Godwin Emmanuel of No 49 Isheri Magodo was arrested on 18 March 2018 for impersonation dressed in military camouflage T-shirt.

f. 12NA/67/5544 Private Ahmed Yahaya a deserter from 202 Battalion Bama in 2015 and dismissed since September 2016 at Headquarters 3 Division Nigerian Army was arrested on 3 April 2018 along Sabo- Sagamu road Ikorodu Lagos, dressed in Army Camouflage T-shirt parading himself as a soldier to defraud law abiding citizens.

h. Mr. Robert Danang an impostor was arrested on 3 April 2018 at Sabo market Ikorodu dressed in Nigerian Army Strike Force Camouflage jacket and parading himself as a soldier, defrauding and extorting money from innocent citizens.

I. NAF 074360 Corporal Abubakar Suleiman a dismissed Regiment from Nigerian Air Force Base Ikeja was arrested on 4 April 2018 for assaulting a Benin Republic police officer at Assesse Junction along Lagos-Ibadan expressway. He was dressed in Army face cap claiming to be a serving personnel molesting innocent citizens.

j. 15NA/74/5589 Private lbrahim Isah a deserter from 149 Battalion Ojo he was arrested on 5 April 2018 in Ikorodu general area dressed in military camouflage parading himself as a personnel while molesting and extorting money from innocent civilians.

k. Mr. Monday Iyaji Ogar from Cross River state was arrested on 9 February 2018 along Mile 2 - Badagry expressway Lagos. He was wearing a Camouflage T-shirt and driving a Tokumbo vehicle that was to be delivered at United Legal Motors.

l. Mr. Emeka Stephen, a computer operator also a member of Emmanuel Anthony syndicate who specializes in producing the fake ID Cards and documents was arrested in Alaba International market on 6 April, 2018.

4. Since the assumption of Command of Major General Enobong Udoh and the subsequent launch of a Special Operation CHECKMATE, the operation has yielded positive results leading to the arrest of a total of 36 impostors within a short span of two months or thereabout. 23 of them have since been handed over to the Civil Police for further investigation and subsequent prosecution. The remaining 13 of the paraded impostors will also be handed over to the Police for further investigation and prosecution at the completion of preliminary investigations to further uncover their cohorts.

5. The General Officer Commanding 81 Division wishes to use this opportunity to thank the people of Lagos and Ogun States for their cooperation and enjoined them to always report activities of persons engaging in any form of illegal activities dressed in military uniform through the phone numbers provided or nearest Military Barracks.

6. You are please requested to disseminate this information through your various Media. Thanks for your usual co-operation.